I found solace in my own strength and independence

I kicked sand and stones as I walked along after school, completely reluctant to go back to 13, Abby Estate which was supposed to be home.

Source
I honestly didn't have anything to do there because only the night before, I had been banned from watching TV.

“If you continue like this, your grades are going to go bad and your mother will blame it on me, so when you return from school, make sure you go in and read your books” my aunt, Shalewa, said. I opened my mouth in protest but her oldest son, Victor who was 6 years older than I was gave me a warning look.

I had to get up gingerly from the sofa where I had been sitting and headed upstairs to the room I shared with Lizzy, her daughter.

Lizzy didn't come upstairs till past 11 pm after the soap opera ‘My Eternal’ had stopped showing. We used to sneak downstairs to watch that soap opera together once we were sure her parents were asleep. I was a little surprised that she didn't come up to call me, whether I was banned or not. After all, we both saw it somewhat illegally.

That morning before I left for school, I asked to speak with my mom. Before that day, I used to overlook every unfair thing my aunt did to me. It wasn't like I could report to my mom anyway, my aunt made sure I took all my calls in her presence.

“You can't talk to your mom today, you're late for school,” she said without even glancing at the clock that was reading 7:30 am. Assembly time wasn't till 8 am.

I sighed wearily.

I couldn't figure out a good reason for the way I was being treated since my mom traveled to see her own mother. I had suggested to my mom to leave me alone in the house but she was adamant about taking me to my aunt's house which was barely 30 minutes away.

“Mommy I don't want to go to Aunty Shalewa” I whined as she packed my things up.

“No responsible mother leaves their 10-year-old alone at home and travels for a month,” she said to me. I knew I could manage for a week or two but a month? So I allowed her to drop me off at my aunt's the evening before she headed for Calabar.

“Why are you returning from school by this time, Treasure?”

I didn't expect my aunt to be back so early from her provision store either.

“I…” I bowed my head, she wasn't going to believe me anyway. “I was walking slowly”

She chuckled and rose to her full height, retying one of the double wrappers on her waist as she did so.

“And you think I'm foolish enough to believe that? Anyway, your mother called. She's very worried that you didn't return home from school when the others got back. After dinner I'll let you explain that to her by yourself” she said and walked away leaving my heart thumping wildly in my chest.

I couldn't sleep the entire afternoon and finishing my dinner was a challenge. I didn't dare keep it though, the last time I remained a meal, my aunt made me eat it as my only meal for the next day.

It was almost 10 pm when she finally held her phone out to me.

“Treasure!” my mom called from the other end

“Good evening mummy” I replied coldly

“Are you okay? Your aunty called me by past 3 to say that had not seen you since you left for school in the morning. Where did you go?”

I looked up at the satisfied expression on my aunt's face and bit my lower lip to ensure I didn't make a retort at her. She was the one who called my mom just to alarm her.

I didn't go anywhere and I told my mom so. When I returned the phone, I headed upstairs without thanking her like I used to.

I lay awake in bed without entertaining sleep for a long time. I didn't understand why I was being treated differently from my aunt's children. Lizzy and Victor used to come to our house too and my mom never treated them badly.

I made a decision that night not to stay at my aunt's anymore. It was just 8 days before my mother returned and I was certain I could survive on my own.

I packed up my things and prepared to head back to my house that night.

I was certain that everyone had slept before heading out with my packed bag. I had to walk for almost 1 hour before arriving at my house.

The next morning, I went out to call my mom using my neighbor's phone.

“I'm not staying with Aunty Shalewa any longer. The way she's treating me is very unfair, It's so obvious that she cannot treat me as one of her children”

And I never returned to Aunty Shalewa’s house after that, not even during her burial 4 years later.